KWV Reserve Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2011

A full bodied wine with upfront gooseberry, granadilla, fig and tropical aromas. The wine is clean, fresh and crisp with hints of minerality, perfume and herbaceous notes. This well balanced wine ends with a crisp, refreshing finish.

Serve chilled. It can be enjoyed on its own, or as a partner to flavourful chicken and fish dishes and main meal salads.

in the vineyard : VineyardsSouth Africa's vineyards are mostly situated in the Western Cape near the coast. This is the southernmost region of the African continent, and has a Mediterranean type climate and diverse soils perfectly suited to quality grape production. 45% Stellenbosch, 40% Elgin, 15% Lutzville.

Vintage conditionsThe 2011 harvest in the Western Cape was warmer and drier than normal, resulting in lower yields, smaller bunches and consequently riper flavours. These seasonal conditions produced sound fully ripe and healthy grapes, with resultant wines rich, soft and generous in flavour.

about the harvest: Harvest date: beginning to mid February.Yield: 5-8t/ha

in the cellar : WinemakingFrom the intake of grapes the whole winemaking process was reductive to retain maximum flavour. Crushing was slow and gentle to cool down mash as much as possible and to prevent oxidation of juice. 7 hour skin contact was allowed, until total acidity reached a desired level. The grapes were pressed and cold settled for 48 hours, followed by careful racking to fermentation tank. Fermentation of the first 3% alcohol was done at 16° - 18° to promote thiole (gooseberry, pineapple, guava flavours) conversion in wine. Further fermentation was done at 12° - 13° to preserve fermentation fruit flavours. The wine spent 50 days on fermentation lees, stirred up once a week to enhance the mouth feel. It was then racked, filtered and stabilised for bottling.